A Burlington woman was sentenced Monday to up to 10 years in prison after police say she sold nude photos and videos of a 16-year-old girl and pressured the girl to meet men for sex.
On Sept. 27, 2023, Samantha Wixom, 32, was arrested and charged with sexual exploitation of a minor, third-degree sexual abuse, pandering of a minor for prostitution, pimping (class C felonies), and child endangerment (aggravated misdemeanor).
On Feb. 5, 2023, Burlington police were called to the Circle K gas station on Main Street for a report of a juvenile that had ran away because she was being sexually trafficked.
The girl told police she had been living with Wixom at the Maple Hills apartment complex and had run away because Wixom was pressuring her to take nude videos of herself. She said Wixom was selling the videos online and keeping the money for herself, according to a criminal complaint.
The girl also told police Wixom had set up a dating app called SKOUT on the girl’s phone and was pressuring her to meet men with whom she was to have sex.
In April 2023, the girl was interviewed at the Mississippi Valley Child Protection Center in Muscatine by a forensic interviewer and reiterated what she told officers previously.
Detectives were able to conduct two separate interviews with Wixom, one on Feb. 6, 2023 at the Burlington Police Department, and a second interview on July 7, 2023 in a police department vehicle at Dairy Queen on Main Street in Burlington, the complaint states.
During these interviews, Wixom admitted to taking nude photos and videos of the girl, selling them online, and sending photos and videos directly to the girl, according to the complaint.
On Sept. 27, a warrant was issued for Wixom’s arrest.
Wixom initially pleaded not guilty to the charges in November. But on Feb. 9, she pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor (class C felony) and child endangerment (aggravated misdemeanor). As part of a plea agreement, the other charges were dismissed, court records show.
On Monday, Wixom was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, ordered to pay an $855 fine (plus surcharges and restitution), ordered not to have any contact with the victim in the case, is required to submit a physical specimen for DNA profiling, and will be given credit for time already served.
Wixom was represented by public defender James Carter. Court records show Wixom made multiple complaints about Carter’s work as her attorney and made multiple request to be appointed a different attorney, but those requests were denied by District Eight Judge Shane Wiley in January.
District Eight Judge Wyatt Peterson presided over Wixom’s sentencing.
